The payment was made after the missing girl's parents expressed their outrage at the story, which Kate McCann said made her feel "mentally raped". All the parties involved in the negotiations over the payment, which was agreed in September 2008, were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement hiding the scale of the newspaper's culpability.

Tuesday, 6 December 2011

Scotland Yard detectives made a secret visit to Spain in the hunt for Madeleine McCann, it was revealed. Officers spent three days in Barcelona for confidential talks with Spanish police and law enforcement officials.

The Yard confirmed the summit had taken place as it emerged detectives have so far made three visits to Portugal in the hunt for new leads. And police sources said yesterday: “We are making progress.” Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, praised the Yard yesterday and said: “We are pleased the review is making progress.”